Nails Magazine

MAR 2015

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 39 of 208

38 | NAILS MAGAZINE | MARCH 2015
Meet the Winning
Mural-Makers
Congratulations to the talented winners of this year's
NAILS Mural Contest — one an industry veteran and the
other a relative newcomer. Los Angeles-based nail artist
Elsbeth Schuetz took top honors in the handpainted
category. Her brewery-themed mural was inspired by the
growing popularity of craft beers. Schuetz — a celebrity
nail tech, educator, and frequent NAILS contributor —
also won last year's competition. (Go to www.nailsmag.
com/muralcontest to check out past contest winners.)
A nail tech of three years, Emily Nash of Creative
Touch Nail and Day Spa in Elkhart, Ind., nabbed the
top spot in the mixed media/3-D category. She chose
an undersea-themed mural — complete with 3-D acrylic
octopus — because she has always been attracted to the
bright colors found in the ocean.
Our thanks also go to INM for providing a fabulous
assortment of products to our winners.
} {
nails file
When nail tech Jen McClain set out to hire a manager for her salon
— Completely Polished in Cranberry Township, Pa. — she discovered
she had a small problem. "I had planned to promote from within or hire
someone with cosmetology experience, but this didn't really work out.
All the staf prefer to do nails and don't want to do management," she
says. Her solution? Hire a military veteran. "I really wanted the manager
to have a high level of integrity, punctuality, a thick skin, and dedication
— a willingness to work through tough times without just up and quitting. A veteran
would have learned these skills in the military and be able to lead by example," she says.
This was not such an out-of-the-box idea given McClain's background. "I come from
a military family. I was one of the few not to join," she says. "The reason I didn't — and I
grappled for years whether it was right for me — was you can't wear nail polish!"
So not long ago she posted an ad on Facebook seeking a veteran to train in the ways
of the salon and has begun the interview process. Though duties for this supervisory
position include payroll, hiring, training, and inventory, her ad reads: "No experience
necessary, scholarship included, and paid training provided."
Her motivation in providing training is simple. "I really hate hearing about how
veterans are unable to fnd jobs — and realized I could do something about it," she says.
From Military to Management
>>>
McClain
1. A young Jen McClain helps out at her mom's promotion ceremony.
2. McClain's parents both served in the military.
1
2
INM provided generous prize packages to this year's
winners that included an assortment of lacquers, top
coats, and treatments for the handpainted winner, and
colored acrylic powers for the mixed-media winner.
Handpainted Winner: Elsbeth Shuetz
Mixed Media/3-D Winner: Emily Nash